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A Historic Referendum: Ireland Rejects Anti-abortion Laws.


  
 The fourth referendum in Ireland on the abortion issue was conducted on the 25th of May, 2018. 67% of the Irish voted in favour of abortion and 33%  against it. In1983, after the  third referendum,  the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution Act had made it clear that the right to life of the unborn child was equal to the right to life of the mother. But this amendment will be repealed as  the Irish people have now voted to do away with the constitutional ban on abortion. This indicates that the Irish are  slowly and steadily moving away from the country’s conservative Catholic ethos. The proposed legislation will bring Ireland into line with the majority of European countries that allows termination without asking for specific reasons within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Moreover, as per this proposal, even in an advanced stage of pregnancy, abortion will be allowed in cases of fatal foetal anomaly or if the pregnant woman’s life or health is at risk.

Ireland which has some of the most restrictive abortion laws in the world has repeatedly been subjected to severe criticism by Human Rights Bodies. Unlike many developed countries of the world, Ireland does not allow abortion even in the early stages of pregnancy. Irish women have to travel to England or other countries for medical termination of pregnancy because if they have the procedure done illegally in Ireland they can be imprisoned up to 14 years.

 One of the victims of Ireland’s abortion policies referenced by the pro-abortion campaigners was Savita Halappanavar. Savita , a 31- year- old dentist hailing from Karnataka, India, died of Septicemia in 2012 at University Hospital, Galway, Ireland as she was denied an abortion during a miscarriage. This  incident had provoked widespread outrage and triggered a massive debate over the issue of life-saving abortions. In 2013, a probe into Savita’s death found flaws in the abortion laws.

 Savita’s life had been mercilessly cut short because of the outdated  abortion laws of Ireland. As her death had helped to catalyze the pro-abortion campaign, there are requests now  for the proposed new abortion law to be called Savita’s Law.

Bhadra S.

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